THE SALAR JUNG MUSEUM ACT, 1961 
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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CHAPTER I 
PRELIMINARY 

SECTIONS 

1.  Short title and commencement. 
2.  Declaration of Salar Jung Museum together with Salar Jung Library as an institution of national 

importance. 
3.  Definitions. 

CHAPTER II 
SALAR JUNG MUSEUM BOARD 

4.  Establishment and incorporation of the Board. 
5.  Composition of the Board. 
6.  Term of office. 
7.  Temporary absence of member. 
8.  Duty of Government nominating persons, etc. 
9.  Meeting of the Board. 
10.  Temporary association of persons with the Board for particular purposes. 
11.  Authentication of orders and other instruments of the Board. 
12.  Staff of the Board. 
13.  Transfer of service of existing employees to the Board. 
14.  Location of museum. 

CHAPTER III 
FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD 

15.  Duties of the Board. 
16.  Powers of the Board. 

CHAPTER IV 
FINANCE, ACCOUNTS, AUDIT AND REPORTS 

17.  Vesting of property. 
18.  Grants by Central Government to the Board. 
19.  Fund of the Board. 
20.  Budget. 
21.  Accounts and audit. 
22.  Returns and reports. 

CHAPTER V 
MISCELLANEOUS 

23.  Power of Central Government to issue directions to the Board. 
24.  Delegation of powers and duties. 
25.  Officers and employees of the Board to be public servants. 
26.  Protection of action taken under Act. 

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SECTIONS 

27.  Power of Central Government to make rules. 
28.  Power of Board to make regulations. 

THE SCHEDULE. 

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THE SALAR JUNG MUSEUM ACT, 1961 

ACT NO. 26 OF 1961 

An Act to declare the Salar Jung Museum together with the Salar Jung Library at Hyderabad to 
be an institution of national importance and to provide for its administration and certain other 
connected matters. 

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Twelfth Year of the Republic of India as follows:― 

[19th May, 1961.] 

CHAPTER I 

PRELIMINARY 

1. Short title and commencement.―(1) This Act may be called the Salar Jung Museum Act, 1961. 
(2)  It  shall  come  into  force  on  such  date1  as  the  Central  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the 

Official Gazette, appoint. 

2.  Declaration  of  Salar  Jung  Museum  together  with  Salar  Jung  Library  as  an  institution  of 
national  importance.―It  is  hereby  declared  that  the  Salar  Jung  Museum  together  with  the  Salar  Jung 
Library at Hyderabad in the State of Andhra Pradesh is an institution of national importance. 

3. Definitions.―In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,― 

(a) “Board” means the Board established under section 4; 

(b) “Chairman” means the Chairman of the Board; 

(c) “Fund” means the fund referred to in section 19; 

(d) “member” means a member of the Board and includes the Chairman; 

(e) “museum” means the Salar Jung Museum together with the Salar Jung Library, declared to be 

an institution of national importance under this Act; 

(f) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 

(g) “State Government” means the Government of Andhra Pradesh. 

CHAPTER II 

SALAR JUNG MUSEUM BOARD 

4. Establishment and incorporation of the Board.―(1) With effect from such date as the Central 
Government  may,  by  notification  in  the  Official  Gazette,  appoint,  there  shall  be  established  for  the 
purposes of this Act a Board to be known as the Salar Jung Museum Board. 

(2) The Board shall be a body corporate with the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a 
common seal with power, subject to the provisions of this Act, to acquire, hold and dispose of property 
and to contract, and may by that name sue and be sued. 

(3)  Notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  sub-section  (2),  the  Board  shall  not,  except  with  the 
previous approval of the Central Government, sell or otherwise dispose of any article or thing specified in 
Part I or Part II of the Schedule. 

5. Composition of the Board.―(1) The Board shall consist of the following persons, namely:― 

(a) the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, ex officio Chairman; 

(b) the Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry concerned with matters relating to 

the museum, ex officio; 

(c) the Mayor of the Corporation of Hyderabad, ex officio; 

1. 1st July, 1961, vide notification No. G.S.R. 817, dated 15th June, 1961, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, sec. 3(i). 

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(d) the Vice-Chancellor of the Osmania University, ex officio;  

(e) the Accountant-General, Andhra Pradesh, ex officio; 

(f) a person to be nominated by the Central Government, who shall be a member of the family of 

the late Nawab Salar Jung Bahadur who died on the 2nd day of March, 1949; 

(g)  three  persons  to  be  nominated  by  the  Central  Government  who  shall  as  far  as  possible  be 
persons having knowledge of, and experience in, matters relating to the administration of museums 
and libraries; 

(h) two persons to be nominated by the State Government. 

(2)  Every  nomination  under  this  section  shall  take  effect  as  soon  as  it  is  notified  by  the  Central 

Government in the Official Gazette. 

6. Term of office.―(1) The term of office of nominated members shall be such as may be prescribed. 

(2)  Any  nominated  member  may  resign  his  office  by  giving  notice  in  writing  to  the  Central 
Government, and on such resignation being notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette, 
shall be deemed to have vacated his office. 

(3) A casual vacancy created by the resignation of a nominated member under sub-section (2) or for 

any other reason may be filled by fresh nomination. 

(4) An outgoing member shall be eligible for renomination. 

7.  Temporary  absence  of  member.―(1)  If  any  nominated  member  is  by  infirmity  or  otherwise 
rendered  temporarily  incapable  of  carrying  out  his  duties  or  is  absent  on  leave  or  otherwise  in 
circumstances not involving the vacation of his office, the Central Government or the State Government, 
as the case may be, may nominate another person to act in his place during his absence. 

(2) No act of the Board shall be invalid merely by reason of— 

(a) any vacancy in, or defect in the constitution of, the Board, or 

(b) any defect in the nomination of a person acting as a member thereof, or 

(c) any irregularity in its procedure not affecting the merits of the case. 

8. Duty of Government nominating persons, etc.―(1) Before nominating a person to be a member 
of the Board, the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be, shall satisfy itself that 
the person will have no such financial or other interest as is likely to affect prejudicially the exercise or 
performance by him of his functions as a member of the Board, and the Central Government or the State 
Government, as the case may be, shall also satisfy itself from time to time with respect to every member 
of the Board nominated by it that he has no such interest; and any person who is or whom the Central 
Government or the State Government, as the case may be, proposes to nominate, and who has consented 
to  be,  a  member  of  the  Board  shall,  whenever  requested  by  the  Central  or  State  Government  so  to  do, 
furnish  to  it  such  information  as  that  Government  considers  necessary  for  the  performance  by  it  of  its 
duties under this sub-section. 

(2) A nominated member who is in any way, directly or indirectly, interested in a contract made, or 
proposed to be made, by the Board shall, as soon as possible, after relevant circumstances have come to 
his  knowledge,  disclose the  nature  of  his interest  at a  meeting  of  the  Board and  the  disclosure shall  be 
recorded in the minutes of the Board and the member shall not take  any part after the disclosure in any 
deliberation or decision of the Board with respect to that contract. 

9. Meeting of the Board.―(1) The Board shall meet at such times and places and shall, subject to the 
provisions of sub-sections (2), (3) and (4), observe such rules of procedure in regard to the transaction of 
business  at  its  meetings  (including  the  quorum  at  meetings)  as  may  be  provided  by  regulations  made 
under this Act. 

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(2)  The  Chairman  or,  in  his  absence,  any  member  chosen  by  the  members  present  from  among 

themselves, shall preside at a meeting of the Board. 

(3) If any of the members referred to in clauses (b), (c), (d) and (e) of section 5 is unable to attend any 
meeting  of  the  Board,  he  may,  with  the  previous  approval  of  the  Chairman,  authorise  any  person  in 
writing to do so. 

(4) All questions at a meeting of the Board shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members 
present and voting and in the case of an equality of votes, the Chairman or, in his absence, the member 
presiding shall have a second or casting vote. 

10. Temporary association of persons with the Board for particular purposes.―(1) The Board 
may associate with itself in such manner and for such purposes as may be provided by regulations made 
under  this  Act  any  person  whose  assistance  or  advice  it  may  desire  in  performing  any  of  its  functions 
under this Act. 

(2) A person associated with it by the Board under sub-section (1) for any purpose shall have the right 
to take part in the discussions of the Board relating to that purpose, but shall not by virtue of this section 
be entitled to vote. 

11. Authentication of orders and other instruments of the Board.―All orders and decisions of the 
Board  shall  be  authenticated  by  the  signature  of  the  Chairman  or  any  other  member  authorised  by  the 
Board in this behalf, and all other Instruments issued by the Board shall be authenticated by the signature 
of an officer of the Board authorised in like manner in this behalf. 

12.  Staff  of  the  Board.―(1)  Subject  to  the  provisions  of  sub-section  (2),  the  Board  may,  for  the 
purpose of enabling it efficiently to perform its functions under this Act, appoint such number of officers 
and other employees as it may think fit. 

(2) The recruitment and conditions of service of such officers and employees shall be such as may be 

provided by regulations made under this Act. 

13. Transfer of service of existing employees to the Board.―Subject to the provisions of this Act, 
every person employed in the museum immediately before the date of establishment of the Board shall, 
on  and  from  such  date,  become  an  employee  of  the  Board  with  such  designation  as  the  Board  may 
determine and shall hold his office or service therein by the same tenure, at the same remuneration and 
upon the same terms and conditions as he would have held the same on such date if the Board had not 
been established and shall continue to do so unless and until his employment in the Board is terminated or 
until such tenure, remuneration and terms and conditions are duly altered by the Board: 

Provided that the tenure, remuneration and terms and conditions of service of any such person shall 

not be altered to his disadvantage without the previous approval of the Central Government. 

14. Location of museum.―The museum shall be located at Hyderabad. 

CHAPTER III 

FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD 

15.  Duties  of  the  Board.―(1)  It  shall  be  the  general  duty  of  the  Board  to  manage  the  museum 
efficiently and to plan, promote, organise and implement programmes for the development of the museum 
and  to  perform  such  other  functions  as  the  Central  Government  may,  from  time  to  time,  assign  to  the 
Board. 

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, the Board may 

take such steps as it thinks fit— 

(a) for providing for instruction and research in matters relating to museums and libraries and for 

the advancement of learning and dissemination of knowledge in such matters; and 

(b) to do all such other things as may be necessary  for the discharge of its functions under this 

Act. 

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16. Powers of the Board.―(1) Subject to such conditions and restrictions as the Central Government 
may think fit to impose, the Board may exercise all such powers as may be necessary or expedient for the 
purpose of carrying out its duties under this Act. 

(2) Subject to such regulations as may be made by the Board in this behalf, the Board may, from time 

to time,― 

(a) purchase or otherwise acquire such articles or things as may, in the opinion of the Board, be 

worthy of preservation in the museum; or 

(b)  exchange,  sell,  or  destroy  any  such  article  or  thing  as  is  purchased  or  acquired  under  

clause (a); or  

(c)  lend  within  India  any  article  or  thing  specified in Part  I  or  Part  II  of  the  Schedule,  or  lend, 
whether within or without India, any such article or thing as is purchased or acquired under clause (a). 

CHAPTER IV 

FINANCE, ACCOUNTS, AUDIT AND REPORTS 

17.  Vesting  of  property.―The  properties  specified  in  Parts  I,  II  and  III  of  the  Schedule,  being 
properties which by virtue of the decree passed in C.S. No. 13 of 1958 on the file of the High Court of 
Andhra  Pradesh  vested  absolutely  in  the  Central  Government,  shall,  on  and  from  the  date  of  the 
establishment of the Board, vest in the Board. 

18.  Grants  by  Central  Government  to  the  Board.―For  the  purpose  of  enabling  the  Board  to 
discharge  its  functions  efficiently  under this  Act,  the  Central  Government  may,  after  due  appropriation 
made by Parliament by law in this behalf, pay to the Board in each financial year such sums of money as 
that Government considers necessary by way of grant, loan or otherwise. 

19. Fund of the Board.―(1) The Board shall maintain a Fund to which shall be credited— 

(a) all moneys paid by the Central Government; 

(b) all fees and other charges levied under this Act; 

(c)  all  moneys  received  by  the  Board  by  way  of  grant,  gift,  donation,  benefaction,  bequest, 

subscription, contribution or transfer; 

(d) all other moneys received by the Board in any other manner or from any other source. 

(2) The Board may expend such sums as it thinks fit for performing its functions under this Act and 

such sums shall be treated as expenditure payable out of the Fund. 

(3) A sum of money not exceeding such amount as may be provided by regulations made under this 
Act may be kept in current account with any scheduled bank as defined in section 2 of the Reserve Bank 
of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934) or any other bank approved by the Central Government in this behalf, but 
any moneys in excess of that sum shall be deposited in the Reserve Bank of India or with the agents of the 
Reserve Bank of India or invested in such manner as may be approved by the Central Government. 

20.  Budget.―(1)  The  Board  shall,  by  such  date  in  each  year  as  may  be  specified  by  the  Central 
Government,  submit  to  it  for  approval  a  budget  for  the  next  financial  year  in  the  form  specified  by  it, 
showing the estimated receipts and expenditure, and the sums which would be required from the Central 
Government during the next financial year. 

(2) If any sum granted by the Central Government remains wholly or partly unspent in any financial 
year,  the  unspent  sum  may  be  carried  forward  to  the  next  financial  year  and  taken  into  account  in 
determining the sum to be provided by the Central Government for that year. 

(3)  Subject  to  the  provisions  of  sub-section  (4),  no  sum  shall  be  expended  by  or  on  behalf  of  the 
Board, unless the expenditure is covered by provision in the budget approved by the Central Government. 

(4) Subject to such conditions and restrictions as the Central Government may think fit to impose, the 
Board  may  sanction  any  re-appropriation  from  one  head  of  expenditure  to  another  or  from  a  provision 
made for one purpose to that for another purpose. 

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21. Accounts and audit.―(1) The Board shall maintain proper accounts and other relevant records 
and prepare an annual statement of accounts including the balance sheet in such form as may be specified, 
and  in  accordance  with  such  general  directions  as  may  be  issued  by  the  Central  Government  in 
consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India. 

(2) The accounts of the Board shall be audited annually by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of 
India and any expenditure incurred by him in connection with such audit shall be payable by the Board to 
the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India. 

(3)  The  Comptroller  and  Auditor-General  of  India  and  any  person  appointed  by  him  in  connection 
with  the  audit  of  the  accounts  of  the  Board  shall  have  the  same  rights,  privileges  and  authority  in 
connection with such audit as the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India has in connection with the 
audit of Government accounts, and, in particular, shall have the right to demand the production of books, 
accounts, connected vouchers and other documents and papers and to inspect the office of the Board, and 
the museum. 

(4) The accounts  of  the  Board as certified by  the  Comptroller and  Auditor-General  of  India  or  any 
other person appointed by him in this behalf, together with the audit report thereon, shall be forwarded 
annually to the Central Government. 

22. Returns and reports.―(1) The Board shall furnish to the Central Government at such time and 
in  such  form  and  in  such  manner  as  the  Central  Government  may  direct,  such  returns,  statements  and 
particulars as the Central Government may from time to time require. 

(2) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (1), the Board shall, as soon as possible after 
the commencement of each financial year, submit to the Central Government within such time as may be 
specified by the Central Government a report giving a true and full account of the activities of the Board 
during  the  previous  financial  year  and  an  account  of  the  activities  likely  to  be  undertaken  during  the 
current financial year. 

CHAPTER V 

MISCELLANEOUS 

23.  Power  of  Central  Government to  issue  directions  to  the  Board.―(1)  In  the  discharge  of  its 
functions under this Act, the Board shall be bound by such directions on questions of policy as the Central 
Government may give to it from time to time: 

Provided  that  the  Board  shall  be  given  an  opportunity  to  express  its  views  before  any  direction  is 

given under this sub-section. 

(2) The decision of the Central Government whether a question is one of policy or not shall be final. 

24. Delegation of powers and duties.―The Board may, by general or special order in writing, direct 
that  all  or  any  of  the  powers  or  duties  which  may  be  exercised  or  discharged  by  it  shall,  in  such 
circumstances  and  under  such  conditions,  if  any,  as  may  be  specified  in  the  order,  be  exercised  or 
discharged also by any member, officer or employee of the Board specified in this behalf in the order. 

25. Officers and employees of the Board to be public servants.―All officers and employees of the 
Board shall, when acting or purporting to act in pursuance of the provisions of this Act or of any rule or 
regulation  made  thereunder,  be  deemed  to  be  public  servants  within  the  meaning  of  section  21  of  the 
Indian Penal Code (45 of 1866). 

26. Protection of action taken under Act.―No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie 
against the Board or any member, officer or employee of the Board for anything which is in good faith 
done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act or of any rule or regulation made thereunder. 

27.  Power  of  Central  Government  to  make  rules.―(1)  The  Central  Government  may,  after 
consultation  with  the  Board,  by  notification  in  the  Official  Gazette,  make  rules  to  give  effect  to  the 
provisions of this Act. 

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(2)  In  particular,  and  without  prejudice  to  the  generality  of  the  foregoing  power,  such  rules  may 

provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:― 

(a)  the  term  of  office  of,  and  the  manner  of  filling  casual  vacancies  among,  the  members 

nominated under clauses (f), (g) and (h) of sub-section (1) of section 5; 

(b) the travelling and other allowances payable to a member other than the Chairman; 

(c)  the  disqualifications  for  membership  of  the  Board  and  the  procedure  to  be  followed  in 

removing a member who is or becomes subject to any disqualification; 

(d) the conditions subject to which, and the mode in which, contracts may be entered into by or 

on behalf of the Board; 

(e) the fees to be levied for admission to the museum; 

(f) any other matter which has to be, or may be, prescribed. 

(3) Every rule made under this section shall be laid as soon as may be after it is made before each 
House of Parliament while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one 
session  or  1[in  two  or  more  successive  sessions,  and  if,  before  the  expiry  of  the  session  immediately 
following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid], both Houses agree in making any modification 
in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only 
in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however that any such modification or 
annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule. 

28. Power of Board to make regulations.―(1) The Board may, with the previous approval of the 
Central Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, make  regulations, not inconsistent with this 
Act and the rules made thereunder, for enabling it to discharge its functions under this Act. 

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such regulations may 

provide for all or any or the following matters, namely:― 

(a) the conditions and restrictions subject to which articles and things vested in the Board may be 

given on loan; 

(b) the recruitment and conditions of service of officers and employees of the Board; 

(c)  the  time  and  place  of  meetings  of  the  Board,  the  procedure  to  be  followed  in  regard  to  the 
transaction of business at such meetings and the quorum necessary for the transaction of business at a 
meeting; 

(d) the maintenance of minutes of meetings of the Board and the transmission of copies thereof to 

the Central Government; 

(e)  the  appointment  of  sub-committees,  or  the  association  of  persons  by  the  Board,  for  the 

purpose of assisting or advising it in performing its functions under this Act; 

(f) the persons by whom, and the manner in which, payments, deposits and investments may  be 

made on behalf of the Board; 

(g) the maximum amount that may be kept in the current account; 

(h) the maintenance of registers and accounts; 

(i) the compilation of catalogues and inventories of the books, manuscripts and other articles and 

things in the museum; 

(j)  the  steps  to  be  taken  for  the  preservation  of  the  books,  manuscripts  and  other  articles  and 

things in the museum; 

(k) the general management of the museum; 

(l) the fees to be levied for purposes other than admission to the museum; 

1. Subs. by Act 20 of 1983, s. 2 and the Schedule, for the certain words (w.e.f. 15-3-1984). 

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(m) any other matter in respect of which provision is, in the opinion of the Board, necessary for 

the performance of its functions under this Act. 

(3)  The  Central  Government  may,  after  consultation  with  the  Board,  by  notification  in  the  Official 
Gazette, amend, vary or rescind any regulation which it has approved; and thereupon the regulation shall 
have  effect  accordingly,  but  without  prejudice  to  the  exercise  of  the  powers  of  the  Board  under  
sub-sections (1) and (2). 

1[(4) Every regulation made under this Act and every notification issued under sub-section (3) shall 
be  laid,  as  soon  as  may  be  after  it  is  made  or  issued,  before  each  House  of  Parliament,  while  it  is  in 
session,  for  a  total  period  of  thirty  days  which  may  be  comprised  in  one  session  or  in  two  or  more 
successive  sessions,  and  if,  before  the  expiry  of  the  session  immediately  following  the  session  or  the 
successive  sessions  aforesaid,  both  Houses  agree  in  making  any  modification  in  the  regulation  or 
notification or both Houses agree that the regulation or notification should not be made, the regulation or 
notification shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; 
so,  however,  that  any  such  modification  or  annulment  shall  be  without  prejudice  to  the  validity  of 
anything previously done under that regulation or notification.] 

1. Ins. by Act 20 of 1983, s. 2 and the Schedule (w.e.f. 15-3-1984). 

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THE SCHEDULE 

(See section 17) 

PART I 

All  the  antiques,  curios,  cabinets,  works  of  art,  statues,  paintings,  furniture  and  all  other  articles, 
included in the list marked A annexed to the compromise petition dated the 2nd day of December, 1958 
filed in C.S.No.13 of 1958 in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, in terms of which a decree was passed in 
that suit on the 5th day of March, 1959. 

PART II 

The  entire  library  including  books,  qatas  and  manuscripts  in  all  languages  whether  printed  or 
handwritten  on  paper  or  other  material,  included  in  the  list  marked  B  annexed  to  the  said  compromise 
petition. 

PART III 

The land admeasuring about 28,390 sq. yds. described and delineated in the plan marked C annexed 

to the said compromise petition. 

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